Investigation data base

12.01.2019 | Visiting Mers El Kheir Animal Market

Animals' Angels vists the animal market in Mers El Kheir, Morocco. Our Moroccan team reaches the sales area for sheep and goats before sunrise. It is still rather quiet, and the traders are using flashlights to present their animals.

As the sun rises, the market area quickly fills up. Many of the sheep and goats are tied on three legs and lie on the ground. The animals which are brought to the nearby slaughterhouse are often thrown onto small carts like lifeless sacks and dragged there.

Habib and Ali try in vain to talk to the merchants and convince them that there are more gentle means of transport – but unfortunately, they fall on deaf ears today. At least we can free some animals from their shackles and give them collars so they can at least move. Our team informs the traders again about their benefits – and at least some of them already have homemade collars for their animals. They get new collars from us and our team praises and encourages them to continue using them.

Our team also educates and talks to the people selling birds and tries to convince them to at least use cages instead of tying the chickens and ducks together at their feet and wings. Ali, Habib and Boubaker feed the thirsty birds and give them food.

At the end of their market visit our team helps the donkeys. They meet donkey Nabih and his friends at the so-called parking lot for 'working' animals. Our team is always happy when they are greeted with a loud hee-haw. Ali, Habib and Boubaker give them to drink and organize hay and carrots. Next to the parking lot they meet the donkey Rokey whose wounds they had treated earlier. The owner is also there. He thanks our team for their work for the animals and adds that Rokey is much better since then. Unfortunately, Rokey has to continue working under tough conditions. We know that nothing will change so quickly, because the hard work of the donkeys ensures the survival of many families there. But we will keep on working to change their situation in the long run.